The Life of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France eBook

which, as he affirmed, surpassed those of her portrait,
and was predisposed to view all her words and actions
in the most favorable light. Avoiding Paris, which
Louis, ever since the riots of 1750, had constantly
refused to enter, they reached the hunting-lodge of
La Muette, in the Bois de Boulogne, for supper.
Here she made the acquaintance of the brothers and
sisters of her future husband, the Counts of Provence
and Artois, both destined, in their turn, to succeed
him on the throne; of the Princess Clotilde, who may
be regarded as the most fortunate of her race, in
being saved by a foreign marriage and an early death
from witnessing the worst calamities of her family
and her native land; of the Princess Elizabeth, who
was fated to share them in all their bitterness and
horror; and (a strangely incongruous sequel to the
morning visit to the Carmelite convent), the Countess
du Barri also came into her presence, and was admitted
to sup at the royal table; as if, even at the very
moment when he might have been expected to conduct
himself with some degree of respectful decency to the
pure-minded young girl whom he was receiving into
his family, Louis xv. was bent on exhibiting
to the whole world his incurable shamelessness in its
most offensive form.

At midnight he, with the dauphin, proceeded to Versailles,
whither, the next morning, the archduchess followed
them. And at one o’clock on the 16th, in
the chapel of the palace, the Primate of France, the
Archbishop of Rheims, performed the marriage ceremony.
A canopy of cloth of silver was held over the heads
of the youthful pair by the bishops of Senlis and
Chartres. The dauphin, after he had placed the
wedding-ring on his bride’s finger, added, as
a token that he endowed her with his worldly wealth,
a gift of thirteen pieces of gold, which, as well
as the ring, had received the episcopal benediction,
and Marie Antoinette was dauphiness of France.

CHAPTER III.

Feelings in Germany and France on the Subject of the Marriage.—­Letter of
Maria Teresa to the Dauphin—­Characters of the Different Members of the
Royal Family.—­Difficulties which beset Marie Antoinette.—­Maria Teresa’s
Letter of Advice.—­The Comte de Mercy is sent as Embassador to France
to act as the Adviser of the Dauphiness.—­The Princesse de Lorraine at
the State Ball.—­A Great Disaster takes place at the Fire-works in Paris.
—­The Peasant at Fontainebleau.—­Marie Antoinette pleases the King.—­
Description of her Personal Appearance.—­Mercy’s Report of the Impression
she made on her First Arrival.